1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water safety apparatus and in particular to a device wearable about a user and having a water activated indicator for alerting others of a person in the water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Boats and other types of watercraft can pose threats to persons in the water. People who water ski, ride on tubes or are just swimming in a lake or body of water can be at risk of being unnoticed by passing boats or other watercraft. Typically, when a person is water skiing, they wear a floatation vest. While the floatation vest works well for its intended purpose (to keep the head of the wearer above water), the user still may not be visible to an approaching boat. This problem may be exacerbated by the fact that, in circling around to pick up the downed skier, some tow boats are several hundred yards from the swimmer.
Fortunately, several products have been invented to assist in alleviating this problem. While each of the products described in the following patents may work well for their intended purposes, each can be improved upon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,786 to Stevens is titled Automatic Telescoping Buoyant Identification Device for Use with a Water Spout Life Vest. The Stevens patent shows a spotting pole that is constructed of buoyant foam. The pole slides freely within a tubular main housing. The spotting pole is described to automatically telescope from the main housing into the air when the wearer becomes submerged in water. A spotting pole flange is disclosed to come into a mechanical interference with either of two main housing flanges.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,956 to Chraghchian et al. is titled Water Warning Device. The Chraghchian et al. patent discloses a self elevating signaling device for water skiers. An enlarged visual luminescent marker having an outer guide tube and a buoyant tube freely mounted inside the guide tube is secured to a flotation jacket. A curved flange (number 42) is provided for guiding the floatation tube into the guide tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,551 to Rosen is titled Safety Device to Increase the Visibility of Persons Afloat in the Water. The Rosen patent teaches an automatically activated device for increasing the visibility of a person floating in the water. An inflatable flag assembly is shown to be within a circular housing which is pivotally connected to a plate. The pivotal connections maintain the flag assembly in the vertical posture even as the wearer bobs in the water.
Some other patents include:
U.S. Pat. No.InventorTitle6,749,473LowerExtensible Safety Signal Device5,423,282Krull et al.Signal for Indicating Location of FloatingPerson5,114,369CoffeyWater Skier's Safety System4,598,661RoeSafety Signal Device4,035,856ObergWater Ski Safety Flag3,104,644BurtonWater Skier Safety Device
None of these patents show a telescopic indicator having a weighted end remaining within a shell. Accordingly, none of these patents show a water safety apparatus having immediate response upon the user being submerged in the water and the user rising from the water.
Some of the patents show the use of flags or the like. While flags may be useful in some circumstances, their use can have unintended drawbacks. For example, the use of a flag can increase drag on the apparatus, and if the drag is sufficient, can cause the indicator to extend even though the apparatus is out of the water. This can leave the indicator vulnerable to damage if it is extended as the person falls into the water. The extended indicator can also pose a hazard to others if multiple people are, for example, tubing simultaneously.
Thus there exists a need for a water safety device that solves these and other problems.